


Hana For All Seasons

by Lakerae



Category: Hakuouki
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama, F/M, Major character death - Freeform, Original Character(s), Pregnancy, Single Parents, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-06-08 11:29:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15242418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lakerae/pseuds/Lakerae
Summary: Chizuru and Hijikata are having a baby. The couple learns that it takes a village to raise a child. HijiPapa AU.





	1. Looking at the Moon

A strong wind blew open the shutters, and Chizuru shivered underneath the two layers of blanket. Hijikata released her from his hold, gently patting her on the shoulders to soothe her back to sleep. He got up quickly, grunting as he wiped his eyes awake. Another gust of wind blew into the room, and Hijikata used all his weight to close the window. After securing the locks, he turned back around, only to find the futon empty.

His eyes followed the moonlight that trickled inside, lighting a path toward the wide open shoji door. He pushed back the thoughts of comparing her to an escaped dog, and mentally beat himself for it. He groaned silently as he walked outside the room.

“Toshi,” Chizuru called, her voice reached him like a soft song carried by the breeze. He felt at ease to see that she didn’t go far, that he didn’t have to chase after her like a frustrated little boy.

She was tilting her head, gazing at the bright moon and stars as she rubbed her swollen belly.

“Come back inside, or you’ll catch a cold.” Hijikata wrapped his arms around her and rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “Shit, you’re freezing. Go inside now.” He raised his voice slightly, peeved at himself for losing his temper. He promised himself to be delicate around her, considering her condition. Hijikata tugged at her elbow, but her muscles tensed as he pulled.

“What do you see up there?” she asked with a bright tone. It was late, the time closer to sunrise than it was to sunset. She could sleep through the day without a care in the world. But Hijikata lacking sleep would be doom for anyone that would have to deal with him.

“I see you catching a cold, Chizuru.” Hijikata tugged again, this time wrapping his strong fingers around her wrist. “Please. For the sake of the baby.”

She turned to face him, a wide smile across her soft face. “I see a girl,” she giggled, burying her face into the crook of his neck. Her nose was like an icicle, sending a cold shiver down his spine as she nuzzled it against his skin. “The moon looks like a girl.”

Hijikata pulled her in, slightly crushing their unborn child between them, and encompassing her with all the warmth they shared in a hug. He let out a long sigh as he looked up into the dark sky. Chizuru rested her head on his shoulder, her breaths in and out slowly like she was falling asleep.

“Oi, let’s go back to bed.”

Chizuru nodded, her eyes fluttering to a close as Hijikata led them back inside. He helped her back down on the futon, fluffing the pillows around her. He closed the door shut, and turned around to see a sleeping Chizuru, buried underneath the blankets. He rubbed his eyes a few times, pupils adjusting to the darkness in the room. He probably should have lit a candle before closing their door, but even in the dark his legs always led him  exactly where he wanted to be.

He settled right next to Chizuru, his chest against her back, fitting perfectly against each other. He placed his hand over her belly, his heart fluttering inside his chest. Chizuru squirmed, and her fingers intertwined with his. Hijikata was peeved at himself again, blaming his excitement for waking up his wife.

“Did you look at the moon?” Chizuru whispered, her voice so soft like she was talking in her sleep.

“Mm,” Hijikata replied, his lips planting a tender kiss at the back of her head.

“What did you see?” she asked, taking deep breaths between each word. The room quieted, and Chizuru’s breathing was calm and even. Hijikata waited a few minutes and turned to his side as he relaxed in their bed, shutting his eyes.

“It looks like a girl to me too,” he exhaled, finally succumbing to slumber.


	2. The Joys of Sex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shinsengumi men deal with a very pregnant Chizuru.

“That is a sound strategy, Saito,” Hijikata whispered, nodding at the young captain. The rest of the men nodded, silently agreeing with the Vice Commander. Heisuke raised his hand, a confused look washed on his face.

“Why are we so quiet?” His voice chirped, not quite loudly, but enough to make the entire room groan in annoyance. Hijikata pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head fervently at him.

“Chizuru is sleeping. The baby is arriving soon, and her senses are heightened,” Shinpachi explained, whispering into Heisuke’s ear. “But her room is on the other end of headquarters,” Heisuke said with a normal volume. Eyes darted his way like sharp knives. He lowered his shoulders in embarrassment, wishing he was invisible right now.

The shoji door slammed open. The entire room shifted their gaze and immediately fell silent. Chizuru waddled inside, carrying a tray of tea cups and a steaming teapot. Her hair was disheveled, strands of long brown hair falling down in at random spots. Her belly was swollen, ready to pop any moment.

“Chizuru, love, what are you doing out of bed?” Hijikata’s voice was calm with a hint of caution. There was a collective sigh of relief inside the room, long exhales as Chizuru set the tray down.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she said, flicking her eyes at Heisuke. Heisuke cowered in his seat, inching his body to hide behind Shinpachi.

“You don’t have to do this, Chizuru-chan. We’ve had tea already.” Kondo let out a nervous chuckle. The tray rattled as Chizuru made a sharp inhale, and Hijikata reached over and grabbed her hand. She flashed him a look, and he recoiled his hands so quickly like he had been burned by fire.

“Oh? Who served you tea? Am I so useless now that you don’t want my tea?” Chizuru stood up slowly, clutching her midsection. “I see I don’t belong here.”

“You should be resting, Chizuru,” Harada chimed in. “You don’t want to exert yourself.”

“I agree. Your body needs to prepare for the birth.” Yamazaki stood next to her, an arm slumped over her shoulders. No one remembered seeing him stand up, never even seeing him approach Chizuru—he just simply appeared.

Chizuru let out a long sigh, rubbing her belly. “Okay! I’m sorry to have bothered you! Enjoy the tea!” Her voice was like her normal self, happy and light. Hijikata excused himself, and escorted his wife back to her room.

As soon as the two left, the room lit up in quiet murmurs.

“That was so scary. She’s so scary.”

“I could handle two furies, no problem. But a pregnant woman? No thank you.”

“Did you see the fear in the Vice Commander’s eyes?”

The chattering continued, with laughter in between.

Saito took a sip of Chizuru’s tea, and choked as he swallowed it down. “This tea is… awful.” He looked inside the teapot and sniffed it. He winced and put the teapot down. “Nobody drink the tea. It’s not tea.”

Heisuke raised his hand, and the room shifted his way.

“Are all pregnant women that sensitive?” he asked with intense curiosity.

“I am grateful I haven’t knocked up a woman yet,” Harada said, scrubbing a hand through his reddish-brown locks.

“That you know of,” Shinpachi added, elbowing his friend.

“Sex always has consequence, young man,” Kondo said, flashing him a smirk. “So don’t go sowing your oats all over the city if you don’t want to deal with that.” He pointed at the closed door, but everyone knew exactly what he was referring to.

Heisuke exhaled a long sigh. “Man, I wish there’s a way to enjoy sex without getting a woman pregnant.”

Clearing his throat, Sannan raised his hand in the air. “I can look into that.”

The room fell silent again, more quiet than before.


	3. A Bedtime Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hijikata tells his daughter a bedtime story. *Major Spoiler*

Hijikata lightly tapped at the door, noticing the lantern still lit inside the room. “Oi, Hana. Time to go to sleep.” He pressed his ear against the shoji door, listening for a response.

“Papa, come inside, please,” the child insisted.

Hijikata quietly scoffed, but slid the door open and entered the room just as requested. “Your mother would give you a beating if she found out you’re still awake,” Hijikata threatened, though he was all bark and no bite.

Hana called his bluff, catching the softness in his voice, knowing his threats were empty.

“Tuck me in.” She batted her eyes at him, fluttering her eyelashes with intent. She was only six years old but already aware of the power she had over her father.

“Okay, but right away you go to sleep.” Hijikata sighed as he dropped down on the floor next to her futon. He tugged on the blanket and smoothed over the folds and then patted his daughter on the toes. “There. Now sleep.”

“Now tell me a story.”

Hijikata glared at her—the clever half-demon—and shook his head. “No, no, no. Not tonight. You promised you would go to sleep right away.”

“I can’t sleep without a story, Papa. Please.”

Ooh, the child is good, Hijikata said to himself. He contemplated if there was a time he ever refused her whims. Hana was exactly like her mother, stubborn to a fault, and Hijikata learned a long time ago that he could never win against a determined Edo woman.

“Fine, but after the story you will go to sleep. Your mother would kill me if she found out you were still awake, child.”

Hana smirked in victory, nodding slowly to reassure her father. “Tell me how you met Mama again.”

Hijikata growled lightly, moving his face toward Hana in a threatening way, though instead of scaring her, Hana giggled at him. “You always want to hear that story, Hana.”

“It’s my favorite because Uncle Souji and Uncle Hajime were there too.”

“No, you like to hear about the monsters.” Hijikata narrowed his eyes at her, but a smile escaped his lips, amused that his daughter was a child after his own heart. “Your mother will definitely kill me when she finds out I’ve been telling you about rasetsus.”

“You and my Uncles killed them all,” she chirped proudly.

“Hey! Don’t say ‘kill.’ That’s a bad word.”

“Sorry, Papa,” her voice lowered. She took a deep breath and gathered her words. “You and my Uncles said good-bye to them all.” She smiled brightly, proud of her choice of words.

Hijikata nodded approvingly. “Much better.”

Hana chuckled but then a yawn escaped her, and her eyelids slowly closed.

Hijikata leaned in and kissed her forehead, then blew the candle from her lantern.

“Good night, love,” he whispered, closing her shoji door.

Hijikata walked into his room quietly. He lit a small candle on a table next to his desk, the light dancing around a watercolor painting of Chizuru.

“You had to pass down your stubbornness to our child, didn’t you?” Hijikata sat in seiza, facing the portrait. “But she’s a clever one, that child. And she’s looking like you every day.”

A tear drop trickled down his cheek, and Hijikata’s chest trembled as he blew out the candle. He laid in his futon, eyes closed as he drummed up memories of Chizuru in his mind, replaying them over and over until he fell asleep.


	4. Dancing Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana wants to take sword lessons, but Hijikata has other plans for his daughter.

Hijikata took a deep sigh, shaking his head in his hand. “I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”

Kondo patted him on the back and chuckled. “Don’t worry, Toshi. Hana’s in great hands.”

“Tell me she’s too young.” Hijikata chewed on his bottom lip, a complete mess of a father as he kept an eagle-eye on his daughter.

“On the contrary, Toshi. She’s a year behind. Honestly, she should have been starting sword lessons at five. But Saito-kun is an excellent teacher. He’ll have her battling rogue samurais by the end of the year.” Kondo barked a laugh, his expression teasing the hell out of his Vice Commander.

Hijikata glared at him, eyes so sharp they could slice a bamboo shoot with one stroke. “That’s not funny, sir.” His nerves were testy, more sensitive than they would be if war was looming around.

Kondo let out another loud laugh, clutching his sides as he walked away. “If she’s anything like her mother, she’ll be by your side in no time.”

Hijikata let out a sigh, though it resembled closer to a growl than a breath of air. Kondo’s words were not a laughing matter, considering that Hijikata completely agreed with him. Hana had her mother’s charm as well as her stubbornness, and somehow, managed to trick her ever-protective father to give her sword lessons.

“Out of the question,” Hijikata said, sipping his green tea. “You don’t need to learn when you have me and the Shinsengumi protecting you.”

“You can’t protect me for the rest of my life, Papa,” Hana said, smiling with her eyes twinkling. Her voice was full of cuteness and glee. She must have really wanted to learn, because it was damn near impossible for Hijikata to reject that face.

“Watch me.” Hijikata’s tone was the opposite of his daughter’s response. It was serious, gritted between his teeth like a challenge that no captain would ever want to take.

Hana huffed, crossing her small arms across her chest and scowling at her stoic father. Hijikata cleared his throat, stifling the smile growing on his face as he watched her silently give him the cold shoulder. She’ll get over it, he thought. He pushed a plate of sliced pears in front of her, like it was a peace offering.

“You should take a more feminine lesson, like calligraphy or dance,” he suggested, flashing her a smirk. “No harm can come from writing and dancing.”

The next day, Hana ran into Hijikata’s office, grinning from ear to ear.

“Papa, that was a great idea! Uncle Hajime agreed to help me with my footwork!” She jumped into her father’s arms, burying her face into his chest. “We start tomorrow!” Her voice lit up the room.

“Footwork? Hana, you misunderstood.,” Hijikata said. He looked into Hana’s eyes, keeping his own face straight and serious. But Hana’s excitement overpowered him, and he could already feel the defeat washing over him. “I said you may learn how to dance. You know, like those street dancers who twirl with scarves and ribbons.”

Hana shook her head fervently. “Footwork, dancing, same thing.” She ran out the room, giggling and squealing. “And instead of twirling ribbons, I’ll just use a sword instead.” Hijikata didn’t bother chasing her. She had already made up her mind. Clever, he thought.  _She’s such a clever girl._

Hana was in the corner of the courtyard, picking up different wooden swords and testing each one with practice swings. She chose a long and thin one, then turned to her father to get his approval. Hijikata gave her a hesitant smile, but nodded lightly with a silent agreement. She beamed at him and jumped triumphantly.

“Shit. I really don’t like this at all.” Hijikata watched his eager daughter run toward Saito, and for a split second, he saw a glimpse of Chizuru. He reached for his chest, clutching to a fleeting moment he knew he couldn’t keep.

Hijikata sauntered over to Saito, grabbing an arm to pull him in. “If she gets hurt, I’ll cut your left hand off, okay, Saito?” he whispered into the young captain’s ear. After releasing him, Hijikata patted Saito on the back—hard—and smiled brightly at his daughter. “Just giving your Uncle Hajime encouraging words, love,” he chirped. “Carry on.”

Saito nodded lightly, then cleared his throat as he stared into the Vice Commander’s eyes as he walked away. “Lesson number one,” he said, a tremble in his tone. “Do not take threats lightly.”


End file.
